Monthly Archives: July 2015

Everything You Need to Know about the Ductless Mini-Split System

When it comes to keeping your Omaha area home cooler, there are just so many options! While many homeowners tend to go with traditional air conditioning systems that consists of both an indoor and outdoor unit, there are other systems that can still get you results. Ductless mini-split systems are one option that is becoming increasingly popular today. Here’s everything you need to know about them to make the most informed and best decision for your family and your home.

How Ductless Mini-Split Systems Differ

These air conditioners are mounted on a wall and, as their name implies, don’t require ductwork. Their big differentiator is that they are highly efficient. That’s because, with traditional heating and cooling systems, your home’s comfort depends on heating or cooling the entire house at once, and 25-40% of the efficiency of the system is lost through the ductwork. Ductless mini splits work well for zoning, meaning they only heat and cool areas you want them to. This wastes a lot less energy in the process. They also work in all climate zones and, while expensive, they can be an affordable alternative to having a traditional ducted system installed. If your home already contains ductwork, adding a mini-split system can be more expensive, but it could be worth the tradeoff for lower energy bills due to the system’s high efficiency. And thanks to that efficiency, ductless mini-split systems have a longer lifespan of about 12-15 years.

Why Ductless Mini-Splits Are a Great Option

The biggest advantage to ductless mini-split systems is that you can control the temperature in individual rooms instead of having to heat or cool the entire house. This means you can be comfortable wherever you are in your home without extremely high energy bills. Some of the many other advantages to the ductless mini-split system include:

Why A Bigger AC Unit Isn’t Better

Bigger isn’t always better. This rings especially true when referring to air conditioning systems. It’s actually much more efficient and effective to have a unit that is appropriately sized for your home. Here are some of the biggest problems you’ll experience if you install a cooling system that’s too big, and how you can figure out what size air conditioner you should be considering instead.

Humidity Problems

Installing an air conditioner that is too big for your home can cause a your home to feel more humid, which can cause other issues. Air conditioners are supposed to remove heat and humidity from the air in your home, but if your system is too large, it will cool your rooms quickly, but only remove some of the humidity. This can leave your home feeling damp and clammy. A properly sized unit will remove humidity effectively as it cools.

Cost Concerns

An oversized unit can also end up costing you more. Not only will you have to cash out more to buy it, but to operate it as well. A unit that is too large will start and stop more often. It starts up and shuts down a lot more because it runs for only a short time to meet the thermostat set point. All those starts and stops mean you’ll probably be repairing it more often and replacing it sooner, meaning it will have a shorter lifespan.

Figure Out the Right Size for Your Home

First, determine the square footage of the area to be cooled using the following formulas:

For square and rectangular rooms, multiply the length of the area by its width

For a triangular area, multiply the length of the area by the width and divide by 2